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The Cadillac Escalade, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and DodgeRam 1500 Quad Cab pickup top the list of car thieves’ favorite targets, according to a new study by the insurance industry. Based on an analysis of theft insurance claims for vehicles sold between 2003 and 2005, the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says those three models have a theft rate four to five times the average for all vehicles. While the number of claims of car thefts across all models has fallen, the average loss paid by an insurer on each claim has risen, especially for pickups.

Unlike other rankings of vehicle theft, HLDI measures how many claims are filed against how many vehicles are insured to come up with a likelihood of any model getting stolen. For 2003 to 2005, the average model had 2.6 claims filed for every 1,000 insured vehicle years. By comparison, the Escalade had 13.2 claims per thousand.

The Escalade topped the rankings for the fourth year in a row. The HLDI said insurers paid an average of $17,910 on every theft claim for a Cadillac Escalade model, both its SUV and pickup body styles. HLDI said almost one-quarter of theft claims for the Escalade were for $40,000 or more, indicating that thieves often are stealing whole vehicles.

Most vehicles are stolen for parts, such as air bags or high-intensity headlights, which can be stripped and sold.

All Escalades are sold with an ignition cut-off system that keeps the engine from starting without a specific key. HLDI said Cadillac upgraded the antitheft system in the 2007 model, but it was too soon to tell if the system would improve the Escalade’s theft rates.

The Lancer Evolution, an all-wheel-drive sports car, made the top of the list for the first time. HLDI said thieves were probably targeting the Lancer Evo for parts to soup up everyday Lancers.

The Dodge Ram was followed closely in the rankings by the Ford F-250 and F-350 large pickups. The HLDI said loss claims on pickups had risen in recent years, with payments on the Ford pickups averaging $17,702.

As for the least popular car among thieves? That would be the Ford Taurus station wagon, followed closely by the Pontiac Vibe AWD, the Buick LeSabre and the Buick Park Avenue.